Ogier claims 69th WRC win in dramatic Greek finale
Sébastien Ogier has done it again. In a performance of absolute precision, the Frenchman and co-driver Vincent Landais snatched a 58.3sec victory in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 to claim his 69th WRC win. It was a perfect Sunday for the duo, who swept the rally victory, Super Sunday honors, and the Wolf Power Stage win. It is his second triumph on this legendary Greek gravel, marking 15 years since his first win here.
Everything changed on the second pass of the Aghii Theodori stage. Thierry Neuville, who had been locked in a beautiful, tense battle with Ogier since Friday morning, suffered two rear punctures that cost him 53.5sec. It was a brutal turnaround after Neuville had led the rally by 4.1sec entering the final day. To his credit, Neuville remained graceful, noting that the sport often trades one misfortune for another, referencing their positions in Portugal earlier this season.
Toyota Gazoo Racing enjoyed a massive weekend, with Takamoto Katsuta claiming a well-deserved third, finishing 3min 04.8sec behind his teammate. Further down the order, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team celebrated a career-best fourth overall for Josh McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy, who survived a late off to finish ahead of Sami Pajari. Meanwhile, championship leader Elfyn Evans navigated a difficult weekend to take seventh, successfully keeping his title lead intact.
